Vocal Bop Desk
- Olivia Rodrigo is in control of her master recordings.
- A teenage girl has been inspired by Taylor Swift’s fight to regain control over her online presence.
- With a signing with Interscope/Geffen in 2020, Rodrigo will release her debut album this month.
Olivia Rodrigo is a singer and songwriter who has had her masters stolen. The question that needs to be answered is: did she own them? This blog post will explore the role of copyright in music and what it means for Ms. Rodrigo.
Ms. Rodrigo was one of many artists whose work was illegally uploaded on YouTube by Jared Leto, an actor, and musician is known for his roles in “Requiem for a Dream”, “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Blade Runner 2049”. It’s not yet clear if Mr. Leto obtained permission from these artists before uploading their songs onto YouTube, which would violate copyright law but also show some legal savvy-after all, he could have just taken advantage of this opportunity to promote herself.
my debut album SOUR out may 21st ahhhh pic.twitter.com/JSBsUSgOwj
— Olivia Rodrigo (@Olivia_Rodrigo) April 13, 2021
How did she own her masters?
In a recent interview with The Guardian, the “Deja Vu” singer revealed that she retained control of her master recordings when signing a recording contract last year. Unlike Taylor Swift who faced harsh legal battles after making this decision in 2009, Olivia is hopeful about keeping ownership rights to all future music releases.
While Rodrigo was inspired by Taylor Swift’s fight to own her music, she decided on Interscope/Geffen because the CEO praised her songwriting abilities rather than potential star quality.
“I want to be a songwriter,” Rodrigo said. “I don’t really care about being the biggest pop star of all time.”
The 18-year-old stepped into the spotlight in 2016 on Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark”. She went on to land a starring role on Disney Plus’ upcoming series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”
In 2020, Rodrigo began planning a solo music career after “All I Want,” the song she had written for her character on TV to sing charted and caught label executives’ attention.
Swift has been open about the disadvantages of launching a music career so young. As another teenage act, Rodrigo is poised on the brink of superstardom like Swift was more than a decade ago.
Despite being just fifteen years old, Taylor Swift was able to sign her very own record deal.
When the contract expired 13 years later, she left to sign a new deal with Republic/UMG – but was forced to leave behind the legal rights of her first six albums.
| Date & Time | Place | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 18 Sat • 11:00am | Las Vegas, NV AREA15 iHeartRadio Music Festival (DaBaby, Olivia Rodrigo, 24KGoldn) | 
|
The Guardian’s Eamonn Forde provides an explanation of the story as old as record labels: artists with zero clout sign away ownership to their master recordings for a shot at stardom. As the artist becomes bigger than the label, it asks for its masters back and taps on a contractual clause that says they own them in perpetuity.
Related: How to Watch Metallica Virtual Live Stram Concert 2020: TV Schedule Everything You Should Know
Instead of getting an opportunity to sign back up with Big Machine Records, her 2016 contract left the singer in a precarious position. Swift walked away because she was aware that once Borchetta sold his label (Big Machine), he would sell all future rights to Taylor’s music too.
She explained how she had to leave behind her past life in order for the future that was waiting ahead. She paid for videos and music with money earned from playing at bars, clubs, arenas then stadiums.
In a recent series of tweets, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift expressed that she was not happy with Scooter Braun acquiring ownership of Big Machine Label Group because it meant her master recordings were going to be owned by him as well.
Braun allegedly tried to bar Swift from performing her own music, then later asked for a chance to bid on her catalog by asking the singer to sign an ironclad NDA. Later he sold it back into a private equity company called Shamrock Holdings when she refused his offer.
The “Lover” songstress had been vocal about this struggle every step of the way, largely to warn young artists like Rodrigo against similar traps.
Marion writes, “I am now signed to a label that believes I should own anything I create. And hopefully, young artists or kids with musical dreams will read this and learn about how better protect themselves in negotiation. You deserve to own the art you make” (Marion).
If you like pop, then-upcoming artist Rodrigo’s debut album “Sour” is for you. The entire thing will be released on May 21 and can already be preordered online.
Final Words
Have you seen the latest news about Olivia Rodrigo? It seems that she has just purchased her master’s. The singer, who is best known for collaborating with Taylor Swift on “Bad Blood” and “Shake it Off,” credits one of these collaborations as being an important factor in her decision to own the masters because of her collaboration with Taylor making so much frame.
